34. The People of Fermentation

“Tort, stop! You shouldn’t waste food!”

“No, you’ve got it all wrong, Shiroru. This is a necessary step.”

“That’s impossible! If food rots, it becomes inedible!”

“I’m not letting it rot. I’m fermenting it.”

Shiroru and I were currently in the middle of a heated argument in the yard behind the Wildcat Inn.

Today was a scheduled day off from dungeon exploration. I had been waiting for this moment to test out the Decomposition spell. That’s right—I was the one who ended up with the magic scroll we found in the treasure chest the other day.

It wasn’t a spell with a particularly positive reputation, nor was it especially useful in combat, so the others had looked at me with some confusion. However, since it wouldn't have fetched a high price if we sold it, I managed to claim it for myself without any real fuss.

Having already used the scroll to learn the spell, I had planned to dive into the challenge of making fermented foods with child-like excitement. That was until Shiroru caught me in the act. I suppose if you don’t understand the concept of fermentation, it’s only natural to assume I was just letting perfectly good food spoil.

“Tort? Shiroru? What are you two doing back here?”

『Oh, Halfa! You’ve come at the perfect time! You have to stop Tort!』

Perhaps we had been making too much of a racket, as Halfa had come to investigate. Shiroru immediately tried to recruit her to her cause. Oh no, you don't!

“You’ve got it wrong, Halfa. I’m conducting an experiment to make something delicious.”

『Liar! Tort is trying to make the food rot!』

Even as I desperately tried to explain, Shiroru kept talking over me to sabotage my defense. Gununu.

After giving us both a curious look, Halfa peered into the pot I had prepared. It was filled with boiled beans. They looked exactly like soybeans... or rather, I couldn't tell the difference, so I just treated them as such. Either way, they were a common staple in this world.

“Making beans rot...? Oh, I see! You’re making natto!”

『You know what that is, Halfa?!』

An unexpected word flew out of Halfa’s mouth. Shiroru was stunned, and frankly, so was I. To think she actually knew about natto.

“Halfa, you’ve heard of it?”

“Of course. We ate it all the time back in the Wingfolk Village. I haven't seen any since I came to Cygnil, so I figured no one but my people ate it.”

Wait, so natto is a staple in the Wingfolk Village...?

They looked like angels with those halos on their heads, but their dietary habits certainly defied that image.

Still, the existence of natto proved that fermentation was possible here. I had been worried that since the bacteria might not be the same as in my old world, no matter how hard I tried, I might never succeed.

Knowing that something similar to natto bacteria existed was a huge relief. I wasn't actually trying to make natto this time, so I needed a different strain of bacteria, but knowing there was a precedent made me feel much more confident.

『Y-You eat... rotten beans...?!』

“No, like I said, it’s not rotting—it’s fermentation.”

『Mmm...? Fermentation...』

Shiroru, who had been completely deaf to my explanations until now, seemed to waver once she saw my "accomplice" Halfa. I had to press the advantage!

“Exactly! Fermentation! Under the right conditions, food doesn’t rot; it ferments. When that happens, it transforms into something unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, Shiroru.”

『I-Is that so...?』

Perfect. Shiroru was slowly starting to believe me.

In reality, rot and fermentation are essentially the same phenomenon caused by different microorganisms, but let’s just call that a "white lie" for now. The important part was the promise of something delicious.

“Though, what I’m making today isn’t natto.”

“If it’s not natto, then what is it?”

Oho, Halfa was hooked. As expected of the People of Natto.

“I want to make soy sauce or miso. Have you ever heard of those, Halfa?”

“Oh, I know those! That’s right, soy sauce and miso are made from beans too, aren't they?”

What?!

They even had soy sauce and miso?

The Wingfolk were incredible. From now on, I’d call them the People of Fermentation. Forget just returning Halfa home; I now wanted to find the Wingfolk Village purely for the sake of culinary exploration!

“Exactly. But I don’t know the exact process, so I’m going to have to rely on trial and error. Halfa, do you know the recipe?”

“No... not the details.”

“I figured as much. I guess I’ll just have to experiment.”

I knew that soy sauce and miso required soybeans, salt, and koji mold, but my knowledge didn't go much deeper than that. For the time being, I mashed the boiled beans and mixed in some salt. I wasn't sure about the koji mold, but since I’d heard of rice-koji and barley-koji, I tried mixing in some wheat flour as a substitute. I had no idea if it would actually work, though.

To run multiple tests, I divided the mixture into several portions and placed them into separate jars. I focused on the first jar and cast Decomposition.

The result was a green, mushy mess.

『You’re going to eat that?!』

“N-No! This one’s a failure!”

Unfortunately, the first attempt was a bust. I suppose I really did need the specific mold. Just adding flour wasn't enough. You’d think magic would be a bit more accommodating with the details.

Then again, maybe it was just my lack of visualization.

Alright, time to reset and try again. This time, I’ll use the magic while focusing purely on the image of soy sauce.

Become soy sauce... become soy sauce!

As I channeled the magic with that prayer in mind, the reaction was clearly different. A brownish liquid began to seep out from the mass of ingredients.

Did I actually do it?

I scooped a bit of the liquid onto my finger. The color was more or less like soy sauce.

Was it safe to lick it raw? I recalled that back in my old world, they usually pasteurized it. Then again, "raw" soy sauce was a thing too. It should be fine. Just in case, I cast Clean while imagining it killing off any harmful bacteria.

I gave my finger a quick lick. It was salty, but there was more to it than that—a deep, savory umami. It was a bit funky, and I wouldn't call it high-quality, but there was no doubt about it. This was soy sauce!

“Tort, how is it? Did the soy sauce work?”

Halfa asked, leaning in with intense interest. It was the taste of her home, after all; she was bound to be curious.

I decided to let her be the judge. I poured the finished soy sauce into a separate container and cast Clean on that as well.

“I think I managed it, for the most part. Give it a try.”

I handed the container to Halfa. She peered inside for a moment before scooping some up and licking it, just as I had.

“Yeah, this is definitely soy sauce! The flavor is a little different, but...”

“I thought so. It’s not quite my ideal either... Maybe my mental image isn't strong enough?”

“Hmm, that might be it, but didn't you just learn that magic, Tort? Your Dark Magic level is probably still low, right?”

Ah, that makes sense!

Since I had only just learned it, my Dark Magic level was likely still Level 1. In that state, no matter how hard I visualized the result, my lack of proficiency was probably acting as a bottleneck.

If that was the case, I needed to get to work on leveling it up. Decomposition wasn't exactly easy to use in a fight, so I’d need another spell. I should stop by the Mage Guild later and look for a more practical scroll!

As I was lost in thought—

『Soy sauce... Is it good? I want to lick it too!』

Having watched our reactions, Shiroru had finally become curious. She used her telekinesis to float the container over to her and licked the contents with gusto!

『Gwah! It’s so salty! What is this?! Water! Give me water—!』

That’s what happens when you’re a glutton...

Sighing, I produced some water with Create Water. It would be a shame if she ended up hating soy sauce because of this, so I’d have to cook something delicious with it for her later. Having more seasonings really does open up a world of possibilities!

---

Name: Tort Race: Commoner Age: 12 Level: 8 [5up] Vitality: 51/51 [26up] Mana: 35/47 [25up] Strength: 22 [12up] Stamina: 26 [14up] Agility: 36 [17up] Dexterity: 46 [23up] Magic Power: 42 [22up] Spirit: 34 [17up] Luck: 117 [3up]

Divine Protection: 【Divine Protection of the Job God: Dungeon Explorer】

Skills: 【Destiny God's Smile】【Dagger Lv11】[6up] 【Shadow Strike Lv6】[5up]【Throwing Skill Lv2】[new] 【Lockpicking Lv8】[2up]【Trap Disarming Lv8】[2up] 【Sense of Direction Lv4】[2up]【Cooking Lv4】[new] 【Light Magic Lv6】[4up] 【Water Magic Lv5】[new] 【Dark Magic Lv2】[new]【Non-Elemental Magic Lv1】[new]

Traits: 【Cooking Talent Lv1】【Great Luck】【Dexterous Fingertips Lv1】 【Magic Aptitude Lv2】

Magic: 〈Clean〉〈First Aid〉 〈Create Water〉[new] 〈Dehydrate〉[new] 〈Decomposition〉[new] 〈Detect Magic〉[new]